today i realized that there are only four weeks left for me to teach my students what i haven't taught them already. that is a scary realization because no matter how hard i try, there is too much world information to teach. but, they know a lot more than when we started. pray for me to realize how much i have taught them, not how much i have not taught them. thank-you

monday nights are usually busy and exciting, and this monday was no different. i came home very flustered getting ready for Bible study, finishing laundry, taking the dog out and feeding her, and trying to remember what we were supposed to bring for dinner. Bible study was good, we had a lot of discussion about relationships and the word love because we are learning/talking about loving God and loving our neighbors; the greatest commandments. so that is not my strange surprise, but i thought i would fill you in on Bible study stuff.

okay, on to the story... monday after i get home we were cleaning up the house a bit and i had remembered that my sister so nicely reminded me that it was spring on sunday. "it's the middle of april! you should take down your winter wreath now." so i proceeded to take down the wreath from the front door with the intent of putting it away. here's where the surprise comes in. we have had a bird living in our porch light for quite some time and every time we turn the light on it becomes frightened (i can't imagine why) and flies away. well, we haven't seen the little bird in a long time and i assumed it found somewhere else to live. evidently it decided that my very realistic, tree-like wreath would be a good home. so when i took the wreath down, attached very firmly to the back is a nest! and it has two bird eggs in it. i have not seen the momma bird in a long time so she may have abandoned the nest as well as the eggs. plus, it has been cold and windy so i don't think there are baby birds in them anymore/or ever, but it was still a very strange surprise. now i don't know what to do with the wreath. but if they are still there by perhaps june then pete will have to take care of it because i can't bring myself to disturb them. anyway, here are some poor pictures because it was at night and i didn't want to disturb it more than i had already.

this is the wreath on the door, very cozy under the porch light

this is a close up of the wreath but it is so blurry sorry. the little string stuff is the only evidence of the nest from the front of the wreath.

this is the view from the door's peephole. (the camera wouldn't take a picture from the inside - something about two lenses not getting along)

and this is the nest and the two cute blueish eggs. very good nest builder that momma bird. hopefully the two birds don't hatch and start asking me, "are you my mother?" if you want to see them, come on over. end of strange surprise.

sometimes i feel just like the disciples of Jesus, but usually not in the good way. i was reading mark and in chapter 8 verses 14 - 21 this is what it says:

"Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him "Seven." And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

sometimes i think that God must be saying that about me, and maybe you too. i think sometimes we miss the fact that we have Jesus! right here with us all the time! He will take care of us just as he did for the disciples. i want to have the trust that i should, especially in the everyday things. Lord, please help us live without fear. amen.

i find myself doing everything else that is not what needs to be done. so far i have checked everyone's blog, messed around on facebook, checked the internet, and attempted to think about what to post on my blog. this is all i've got.

to make it more interesting... i think this is what terry will speak on tomorrow

Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

1Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3"Listen! A sower went out to sow.4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.6And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.8And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."9And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

The Purpose of the Parables

10And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,12 so that

"they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand,lest they should turn and be forgiven."

13 And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?14 The sower sows the word.15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive itwith joy.17And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediatelythey fall away.18And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,19but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.20But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

A Lamp Under a Basket

21 And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."24And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

The Parable of the Seed Growing

26And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

esv (Biblegateway.com)

more to come, after tomorrow or after i read and study to comment later.

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~I seek to live for Jesus, through His strength and for His glory in what ever He brings to my life.I am living a forgiven life by His grace. I have a husband, Pete, and two darling children. We live, and enjoy life, in Northern Utah with our family and friends.